Ahzai aspires to be professional footballer

At five, Ahzai Collins already knows what he wants to be when he grows up – a professional football player.

Ahzai started playing football with his father, Christopher Collins, when he was one, and joined the team Christopher coaches, Bambinos FC, when he was three. He also trains with coach Ivor Cumberbatch.

Bambinos FC is the team of the Bambinos Sports Academy for children ages 18 months-12, which is active in Diego Martin and Chaguanas, as well as in south and east Trinidad. He plays under-six and under-eight football with the academy.

He said he likes scoring goals and doing tricks like dribbling, shooting, step-over, crossovers, bicycle kicks, nutmeg and other skills.

“I could do more than that. My daddy is the coach.”

He plays striker, defence and right wing, but he likes to play defence the most. And he told Newsday Kids he is going to play for Trinidad and Tobago as a national player before going international.

“I want to play for Al-Nassr and Chelsea, but I like Manchester United too.”

His favourite player is Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo, who plays for Saudi Pro League team Al-Nassr.

“I like Cristiano because he has the ‘siuuu!’”

"Siuuu" is the sound Ronaldo makes when he celebrates a goal, and Ahzai also does it when he scores.

He is so passionate about the game that his parents are installing a football room in their home, which already had artificial turf on the floor. He said he intends to decorate it with pictures of Jesus, angels, Ronaldo and the Portugal national football team.

Ahzai also likes running, swimming and cycling, and is one of the youngest members of Giants Multi-sport Club, where he practises for and participates in triathlons.

He said he started swimming when he was three months old and his mother, Sade Collins, signed him up for the club when he was four.

He attends Dunross Preparatory School in Westmoorings and enjoys maths, English and spelling, the latter of which he said he was good at because Sade taught him.

Follow Ahzai @ahzai_17 on IG and @baller_zai_17 on TikTok